Executive Summary
Prattville Christian Academy (PCA) is committed to glorify God by inspiring qualified students to excel academically, physically and spiritually, thereby preparing them for future success, whether in higher education or other endeavors.
Our vision is to honor Christ by inspiring students to reach
their full spiritual, intellectual, social, emotional and physical
potential. We are committed to building
faith in God, love of His Word, and respect for His creation. We are committed to providing a quality,
Christ-centered, Bible-based education in a caring Christian environment, with
emphasis on the individual and the importance of the family. We are committed to preparing qualified
students for future success without preference to gender, race, or national
origin.
The Academy is experiencing rapid growth due to its location
in one of the fastest growing areas in the State of
Administration
The current size of PCA demands that we utilize personnel in multiple roles to ensure quality within budget constraints. A new President was hired for the 2004-2005 school year. A President’s team was formed to assist with the daily operation of the school and help make long-term decisions. The Spiritual Director, Academic Director, Athletic Director, Office Director, and Counseling Director make up this administrative team that meets weekly with the President. The Spiritual Director is also responsible for PCA’s school improvement plan as required by SACS. By moving leadership responsibilities to a qualified team, better decisions are being made and more is being done to ensure the success of the school.
Capital Improvements
A strategic facilities plan has been completed and approved by the Board of Directors. In order to continue the growth of PCA while maintaining excellence, facilities must match growth and the overall spiritual, academic and athletic requirements of the student body.
Facility committees have been formed that gather input from faculty, staff, students, parents and the community. These committees will be directly involved in the planning and eventual building of facilities for PCA. Fund raising activities to fund capital improvements will be a major activity at PCA well into the future.
Technology
Efforts are underway to bring PCA to the forefront of technological excellence. This year a computer server was purchased and the building was wired with high-speed internet services. The computer lab machines were cleaned and reloaded and each was hooked to the internet and the server. Computer classes were enhanced and secondary classes were added. Additionally, the office staff and all Directors were provided server and internet access in their offices and classrooms.
E-Mail is being used as the primary communication tool with parents and staff. Next year we will purchase the School Minder computer program, an enterprise system that will allow for the refinement of critical school processes. This program will allow parents to view critical data about their students on the internet, greatly increasing communication with teachers.
A complete audio-visual cart was purchased that allows faculty to begin the process of integrating technology into the classroom. Over the next two years all classrooms will be hooked to high-speed internet and the server and teachers will be fully trained on critical operations.
Academics
An academic committee was formed consisting of academic chairs from each major area. These academic chairs, along with the Academic Director, review curriculum and teaching techniques to make improvements where required. Additionally this committee has been tasked with implementing a complete honors program for secondary students for next year. The committee has already demonstrated a tremendous ability to communicate with teachers in their area and gain their buy-in for future improvements.
Counseling
A counseling center was opened this year and a professional
certified and licensed social worker with an
College testing and pre-testing has been added and a scholarship handbook has been developed. Many college and vocational fairs and seminars are being made available to secondary students.
The addition of a social worker has greatly increased our elementary school’s ability to counsel parents on testing and counseling needs based on observations made in the classroom. A licensed professional has added creditability and tremendous expertise to this critical area.
Continued Commitments
Many new programs have been added and committees have been formed to look at new facilities that will be required to support growth. Throughout this process we all remain centered on one critical goal: providing PCA students with academic excellence in a caring Christian environment.
Over the next five years, we will focus our efforts on three areas of importance to our stakeholders:
Ø Glorifying God by increasing the spiritual education and outreach provided by PCA.
Ø Providing academic, spiritual and athletic excellence in superior facilities with a student body increase of 50 students per year.
Ø Increasing communication with our stakeholders and increasing fund raising activities to fund facility growth while funding operations with tuition.
Future Challenges
The biggest challenge facing PCA is balancing a high rate of
growth with the need for continuous improvement in spiritual, academic and
athletic programs. This will require
that we continue improvement in technology to increase productivity and
communication. Maintenance of a steady
capital improvement plan will provide facilities that meet the needs of the
Academy well into the future. In
addition to the faculty and staff performance rating system implemented this
year, a plan for professional development is required with funds allocated as
required. Maintenance of our accreditation
by SACS through our school improvement plan will remain a high priority.